Whats the deal?

[FrankC]

Ok, so I see many sites that sell all sorts of "old found blanks". For instance, I have seen Wacker razors for sale that are Dorko blades from their old stock of blades. Or "we found an old cache of old blanks" then ground by a custom maker. Or we rounded up these now defunct Blue Wonder blades for our razors. Why are all these "old" blanks popping up all over the place and are they worth it? I know that is all subjective but just looking for feelings on these kinds of items. I guess it all depends on the person doing the working and grinding?

 

[mparker762]

Why are all these "old" blanks popping up all over the place

Because the market is suddenly booming, at least compared to the previous few decades, so all those blanks left over after the straight razor industry folded are now valuable as more than scrap metal.

As for whether they're worth it, eh I don't know. I prefer the TI's that they've been making from their old blanks over the ones they're making from scratch today. I don't feel the same way about the razors made from old Solingen blanks, they seem pretty equivalent to the modern production razors, though I think the problem there is not the blanks but that their heat treating process has changed for the worse.

 

[Thebigspendur]

Back in the day razors in many cases were made from parts made by specialty outfits. The blankmakers turned them out by the tens or maybe hundreds of millions. When the industry crashed many found their way into peoples basements and attics waiting to be rediscovered again for the right price.